The preceding few issues of Archie have been gripped by “ Over the Edge , ” an effect that has institute Archie and Reggie ’s vitriolic competition to a crisis spot , butleave a beloved Riverdale citizen on death ’s dooras well . Now , speaking to series author Mark Waid , io9 can exclusively reveal whose life hangs in the counterpoise .
gravely , if you need to look for tomorrow ’s Archie # 21 and its huge reveal , wrick back now .
“ Over the Edge ” has so far seen Archie and Reggie lastly agree to a do - or - buy the farm showdown as their longstanding rivalry simmered over into outright hostility : a no - holds - blockade retarding force airstream at the ominously named Serpent ’s Hill . bang full well Archie is thoroughly unprepared for such a wash , Betty ask pursual in her own motorcar to strain and knock some signified into the two boys … only to find them mid - backwash and , after skid on a surreptitiously placed crude oil glossy by Reggie ’s pal , impotently wobble head - on into a deadly three - car pile up between the teenagers .
Archie # 20 ended with the horrifying clank itself , but io9 can now reveal that Archie # 21 — by Mark Waid , Pete Woods , and Jack Morelli , on shelves tomorrow — will reveal that the fortuity has will Archie and Reggie physically whole , but keel at the fact their backwash has leave poor Betty Cooper at last ’s door .
We sat down with Waid to discourse what Betty ’s fate mean for Archie and the gang and even Riverdale at large lead forrader establish the tragical effect of “ Over the Edge”—check out the full interview below as well as an undivided preview of the issuance , depicting Jughead , Veronica , and several other Riverdale citizen ’s initial response to learn that one of their own is near expiry .
io9 : How did you come up to determine that Betty would be the one facing death in this storyline ?
Mark Waid : It needed to be someone whose life touched the lives of the other characters in a meaning path . We certainly could have put , say , Dilton or Archie ’s dad in damage ’s style , but not every other character interacts with them on a solar day - to - twenty-four hour period basis .
When you think of “ One will conk out ! ” storylines , a comic like Archie is n’t the first matter that come to mind . Why did you think now was the right time to do this story with Betty ?
Waid : We ’ve had a smashing deal of achiever ( and I ’ve had a great deal of playfulness ) rebuilding the Riverdale universe these last two year , and now that we ’ve finally put all the reference on the table and give them deepness , it felt time to storm up the wager . Teenagers ( speaking as a former one ) do dumb matter all the time , but seldom do we see the consequences of their mistakes on this dread a level .
Archie has done catastrophe on this level before , but they ’re always out of main continuity . What was the pressure like toss this storyline knowing how it would impact on the current Archie universe in such a huge way ?
Waid : It ’s comical , because I feel like I ’ve spent more sentence explaining that we ’re NOT killing anyone than babble about the real story here — which is to showcase how these characters care themselves under utmost , stressful circumstances . This is a story about what happens when we make diminished , poor decisions and they end up having bountiful ramifications . I ’m more concerned in showcasing how these characters evolve and respond to disaster than just killing someone off for the stupor value .
I do n’t want to spoil how for readers , but the way Archie # 21 ramp up up to the reveal of Betty ’s condition is brightly done . Did you always plan for this egress to establish up the way it does , or were there former version of how you couch the moment of verity before nail down on this ?
Waid : To be reliable , no matter how tight my outlines , the idea I sit down with are almost never the ideas that make it to the varlet . No plan survives first inter-group communication with the enemy . I tend to find the story as I compose , and the direction the reveal is deal was a bolt of lightning of inspiration that , halfway through my script , came from re - reading a bunch of old Archie story and clock their beat — then tearing up the floorboard and part again with that in judgement .
Speaking of which , What does a Riverdale without Betty Cooper even look like ? How long will it be before we see the reaction of the town at prominent to what ’s befall ?
Waid : Oh , not long at all . That ’s really the point of this story — to demonstrate that Betty Cooper is the Heart of Riverdale . As we ’ll see , dozens and dozens of Riverdale residents depend on Betty and her dear work as a Tennessean and caretaker . Her passing will be feel immediately .
Betty and Veronica are one of the most iconic duos in comics — how will she react to what ’s happen to Betty ?
Waid : If she were evil , she ’d just be glad there was no more competition for Archie ’s attention . But that ’s not our Veronica . She ’s going to be spending some fourth dimension dealing with how a girl with multitudinous resources can sense so helpless in the grimace of this calamity .
How will the gravity of Betty ’s situation affect Archie and Reggie ’s tumultuous kinship go forward , afford their involvement in the chance event ?
Waid : There are only two thing keeping Archie from pound Reggie to within an column inch of his living . One is that Archie ’s deal with not only his grief but with everyone else ’s . The other is that the waiting personal credit line for exacting vengeance on Reggie is very , very long .
If this really is the final stage of the line for Betty , what will be the thing you neglect when she ’s no longer a physical comportment in the serial ?
Waid : I love ( get it on ? ) Betty ’s complexness . When we reintroduced our cast back in the first issue , we established that Archie and Betty had been a duet but had break up . Throughout the rest of the series , Betty has had to come to grips with how she really feel about Archie : Does she still love him , or is she plainly reacting to the perceive menace of Veronica , or is it even more complicated than that ? If you ’re looking for a lense through which to view romance in Riverdale , it ’s not Archie , it ’s Betty .
io9 is also debut a first look at incoming Archie interior creative person Audrey Mok ’s cover charge for Archie # 24 , which see the result of “ Over the Edge ” on Reggie Mantle :
“ Over the Edge ” proceed with Archie # 21 , in stores tomorrow , June 21 .
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